In the months that followed The Mad Queen's razing of King's Landing, tensions have grown across the Seven Kingdoms. Those once loyal to her, have turned away in disgust and outrage. New loyalties have arisen, battles have waged, a man who never sought power has once again taken on the mantle of King and Arya Stark has returned home to Winterfell.
Arya sat beside Sansa on the top table, of the Great Hall of Winterfell. Seated with them at the table were Bran, Ser Brienne Tarth, Lord Yohn Royce and Maester Wolkan. The six watched, and listened, as the Lords of North and the Vale argued over whether their next move, in the so called War of the Dragons, would be political or military. There was never much consensus. The Northern Lords desired to take up arms immediately, whilst the Lords of the Vale wanted to consolidate their forces and powers and gain more alliances.
"No, Lord Manderly I disagree" Lord Eon Hunter roared across the hall, "If we do not find more allies, any chance that King Aegon has of claiming the Iron Throne is lost."
"And how do you expect us to find those allies Hunter?" Lord Wyman Manderly replied matter of factly. "The Mad Queen still has the full support of the Iron Islands and Dorne. The Riverlands and the Reach are still at odds over who is Lord Paramount. Only the Gods themselves would have any clue what is happening in the Stormlands. And you know farewell that the Westerlands are under siege ."
Arya watched as Ser Brienne nodded along in agreement Lord Manderly. It was true, no one knew what was going on in the Stormlands, they'd closed themselves off from the world. The little they knew came from Brienne's Father, Lord Selwyn Tarth, who had fled Tarth soon after The War of the Dragons had begun. He'd arrived in White Harbor pledging himself and his men to King Aegon, but had also bought with him the news that the Stormlands under Lord Gendry Baratheon had turned against the Queen and that the Kingdom had locked down its borders to outsiders.
Meanwhile, Sansa shook her head, the Lords too distracted too notice when she then stood, only quieting when she raised her voice. "My Lords Manderly and Hunter, thank you, I will take your opinions onboard when I write to my brother," no one questioned her calling King Aegon her brother, because to all of them he would always be the White Wolf not the Dragon Wolf, which he had come to be known as throughout the Seven Kingdoms. "But the Lords of the Vale are right in asking that we build our alliances, before we head off to war."
The Lords of the North and the Vale murmured to each other, whilst Lord Hornwood of the North rose from his seat, "Excuse me My Lady, but that's the very problem, where will the alliances come from? Lord Manderly is right, there are no alliances to be found, every other Kingdom is either against us or fighting among themselves."
"We go to the Stormlands" a voice so calm, it sounded emotionless joined the conversation.
Arya and Sansa's eyes both instinctively moved too their brother, he did not speak often anymore, but both women had found that when he did, they needed to listen to him. He was instinctive and yet to be wrong.
"Bran, did you not hear Lord Manderly or listen to Lord Tarth?" Sansa asked if only to appease the Lords, who might revolt at the suggestion, to go to what was currently considered the most hostile Kingdom in Westeros.
"Yes" Bran answered, his voice deadpan. "You are scared you will be unable to make it into the Kingdom without losing your life. You are not wrong. There is one among us however, who can not only slip into their lands, but also convince Lord Baratheon to join our cause." Bran's eyes floated past Sansa to Arya.
Arya cursed to herself internally, she did not want to go anywhere near Gendry lest she hurt him more than she already had. Lest she hurt herself again, by having to leave him behind once again. Her mind briefly drifted back to when she had turned down his proposal, she remained defiant in her choice, but even so she could not escape the fact that she still loved him. Even now.
Arya's breath caught in her throat before she spoke, "I will go to the Stormlands. I will convince Lord Baratheon to join our cause."
—
Another bitter row had broken out between the Lords gathered at Winterfell, when Arya decided that no matter their objections, she would venture to Storms End by herself. This included objections from Sansa herself (whom Arya thought should have known better) that she at least be accompanied by Ser Brienne and if not her, her Father's men-at-arms, as they were Stormlanders after all.
"No," Arya quipped to Sansa. "Whatever is happening on the borders of the Stormlands, it needs to be snuck past. Ser Brienne, the Tarth men-at-arms, are not the type to just sneak across a border. I will be better off going alone. It will be safer if I go alone."
The look on Sansa face as she listened to her sister, would have caused a weaker person to give in and obey, but Arya would never be that person, especially if it was Sansa telling her what to do. She loved her sister, but she would never take orders from her, she was her own person and made her own decisions. When Bran had said there was only one who could make it past the Stormlands borders, his belief that it was Arya was just a suggestion, her decision to go was her choice alone.
"Sansa, I can take care of myself, I know that you know that."
Sansa sighed, her younger sister was right, as she always had been. Not that Sansa would ever admit that to Arya's face, whatsmore she would never admit to Arya that she now often envied her ability to come and go as freely as she wanted from Winterfell. Yet, Sansa was bound to Jon as his Vassel and in his name, he had named her Lady Paramount of the North and Warden of the North. Furthermore, she was now also Lord Protector of the Vale of Arryn so it was not right for her to leave her seat at Winterfell. If Jon needed her, she needed to be where he could find her. Arya, on the other hand, well needed to go where the Lords of the North and the Vale needed her to go and that was to the Stormlands.
"Arya, go swiftly and go safely" Sansa paused, as Arya went to turn away from her sister.
"Sansa, Winter is Coming" Arya said softly.
Sansa smiled to herself, "Winter is Coming. Don't forget about your pack Arya Stark."
Those words from Sansa were enough to cause Arya to turn back to her sister and do something she hadn't done since she returned to Winterfell after her time in Braavos. She hugged her sister.
The sisters held each other tightly, when Arya did go, they both knew it would be a long time before they spoke again, but that they would. No matter what she had to face, Arya had always been determined to return to her pack.
— — —
Arya went to mount her white steed, whom she had named in Yoren's honor, when she herd footsteps in the fresh hay behind her. Arya turned and came face to face with Ser Brienne and her father Lord Selwyn Tarth. Selwyn was a sturdy man and much taller than his daughter, which was saying something. He had a white beard, and short white hair, which Arya suspected had been as blonde as his daughters hair is, once upon a time. What Arya most admired about Lord Selwyn, was that no matter how harrowing a situation may be, he always wore a smile, a smile that always grew brighter when he spoke of how his daughter was the first Female Knight in the Seven Kingdoms.
"My Lord, Ser Brienne," Arya said, nodding her head curtly. Lord Selwyn nodded in reply, that was the other thing she admired about Lord Tarth, he saw her for who she was, a warrior, it was susprsing however as he had indeed raised one himself.
"Arya," Lord Selwyn began. "I wanted to wish you good fortunes before you left Winterfell and too tell you that I left a garrison of my men upon Tarth, if you call for them, they will come to your aide." Lord Selwyn reached out to hand something to Arya. "This is a Tarthian coin, use it as a wax seal and my Men will know you've called for them, in my name."
"Thank you My Lord," Arya smiled. "I do hope, that I needn't have to call upon them."
Ser Brienne looked to her Father and then to Arya, "We hope you don't have to either, but known that the men of the Evenstar will always come, if called upon in the name of their Lord."
"The good faith of our house, go with you Arya Stark, we hope that one day, because of you wer can return to Evenfall Hall upon Tarth" Lord Selwyn said next.
Arya reached out to shake their hands, but as always Lord Selwyn surprised her as he pulled her into a hug, but it was soon clear that he had done it for a reason. The Lord whispered to her "The Lord of the Stormlands and his people are loyal to the Dragon Wolf"
Lord Selwyn let go of Arya, smiled and wished her luck once again. Making no reference to what he had just said to her.
If Gendry was loyal to Jon, why had no one heard from the Stormlands since the War of the Dragons had begun?